Here's a Few Garden Tips to Get You Started This Spring!

Happy Spring!  We’ve had quite a run of unseasonably warm temperatures mixed with buckets of rain. Surprisingly, even more mild weather is on the way.  What chores can you accomplish right now that don’t include digging around the quagmire that is your flower garden?

Number one on my “to do” list is to pull those baby honeysuckle plants out.  They multiply like rabbits, and with our cool, wet soil you can yank them out at warp speed!  Try it- I challenge you to pull 10 honeysuckle babies in one minute.  The clock is ticking!

There always seems to be something in the garden that needs trimming.  Certain plants and shrubs are best trimmed after new growth begins.  Butterfly bush (Buddleia) and Lavender are two examples.  Wait until your Buddleia leafs out, then cut the dead stems away.  Ditto for your Lavender.  I learned this the hard way some years ago. Previously, I cut my Lavender back to about 6”, just as the new growth was erupting, saddened to find a few of my plants actually died after I did this.  I can’t tell you why it happens- all I can tell you is to learn from my mistake.

Did you plan to add some new perennials and shrubs to your garden this spring?  Plant the label along with the plant.  That way you’ll remember what “horticultural hottie” you added to your landscape.

Many perennials haven’t broken dormancy yet, but I have a large amount of Japanese anemone growing on the “turf side” side of my brick edging.  I will pot the stragglers up, giving them to my friends.  Once the grass starts growing, you won’t be able to find the escapees, so why not spend a few minutes of your time potting then up and surprising your garden buddies with a great plant!

If you get upset that your beloved Peonies get pelted during a rainstorm, buy a support for them!  The support is made of plastic coated metal and has legs that can be adjusted to the proper height of your Peonies.  This allows the foliage to poke through the support and the flowers to be held upright.  I use them for tall perennials as well.  You can find them at nursery centers and the big-box stores.

Cut the faded bloom heads off of your Daffodils.  The early daffodils are almost finished blooming.  Snap the heads off with your hands or get in there with your pruners.  By doing this the bulb’s energy will be stored for next years flowers instead of setting seed this year.  Additionally, don’t cut the foliage back until almost all of it has decomposed.  This usually takes about 6 weeks.

Do you have Hydrangeas?  Are they the big, showy ‘Mopheads,’ blooming in pink and blue tones?  Never cut ‘Mopheads’ back in the spring as they bloom on new AND old growth.  Cutting them back now will ensure minimal blooming this summer.  Once they have totally leafed out, you can cut any branches without greenery back to the ground.

Are you and your family going to an Arbor Day event in your City?  Town and Country's is Saturday.

Don’t pass those free saplings by because you think they’ll stay tiny forever!  I have 2 Redbuds that are over 10” tall, some Dogwoods that are 6” tall and a few Beautyberry shrubs that sported bright purple berries last fall.  These saplings from the Department of Conservation are handouts at Arbor Day festivals in Town & Country, Creve Coeur and many other municipalities. 

The City of Creve Coeur is giving away Paw Paw trees this year on April 28th at City Hall, and Town & Country has an assortment of trees and shrubs that will be given away on March 31st at Longview Farm Park.  Plant them with your kids’ help, and then photograph them with their trees.  Check back every year to see how much their trees grew!  By planting a tree, you just might be sparking an interest in gardening that will last a lifetime!